Green and Glorious
It seems that cooler fall temperatures are finally here. Who knows how long it will take before we get our first frost, but I’m eyeing the dregs of my summer garden with sad thoughts that all but the lettuce will soon be wiped out. (Update: We apparently had our first light frost the night of Oct. 19; at least I had ice on my windshield the morning of the 20th.)
I have four tomato plants that refuse to call it a day, or a season. I know that the dozen or more green tomatoes hanging on the vines will never ripen outdoors. I hate the idea of picking them, or of tearing out the plants, simply because it’s so symbolic of the end of summer produce.
In other words, I’m procrastinating.
My story will have a happy ending, though, because I know exactly what I’m going to do with those tomatoes. I will fry them in a cornmeal.
Hot and crispy, with a slight grit of cornmeal, and the tart acidity of the unripe tomato cutting through the frying fat, fried green tomatoes are a true culinary wonder, and a testament to the greatness of Southern food.
Maybe that sounds a bit over the top, but these darn things are just so good.
So if you happen to have a few many tomato plants that haven’t given up the ghost yet, pick those tomatoes and get cooking.
Tomatoes that have not matured to full size; immature small ones tend to be bitter.
You can go in a few different directions with fried green tomatoes. They can either be pan-fried or deep-fried.
The coating can vary, too. It can range from just cornmeal, salt and pepper to a full-blown egg batter. I tend to go the middle route, coating them with salt, pepper and buttermilk before coating them in cornmeal.
I also tend to pan-fry them simply because it saves money on the amount of oil used.
Here’s a recipe I like from Hoppin’ John Martin Taylor, a South Carolina cookbook author whose books include The Fearless Frying Cookbook.
Fried Green Tomatoes
¼ vegetable or light olive oil, or more
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk beaten with 1 large egg)
1 cup cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 slices green tomatoes (4 to 4 medium), cut ½ to 3/4 inch thick
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal with plenty of salt and pepper.
2. Dip each tomato slice into the buttermilk, covering the tomato completely, and let the excess drip off. Transfer the slice to the cornmeal, turning it until well coated, again shaking off any excess. Place in the hot oil and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Plan to do about 5 slices at a time, be sure not to crowd the pan.
3. As each batch is done, transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in a 200-degree oven while the remaining tomatoes cook. Also check the oil in between batches and add more as needed.
Makes 4 servings.
